Well head construction



P 1949- J. E.-EDWA ;RDS 2,481,732

WELL HEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 19, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 J. E. EDWARDS WELL HEAD CONSTRUCTION Sept. 13, 1949.

Filed Jan. 19, 1946 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL HEAD CONSTRUCTION Jack E. Edwards, Houston, Tex.

Application-January 19, 194.6, Serial No. 642,358

This invention relates to a well head construction.

An Object of the invention is to provide, in well head construction, novel means for anchoring the upper end of pipe, or tubing, in the head, said anchoring means being of such construction that the same can .be readily assembled and applied to the upper end of the pipe and lowered, with the pipe, through the blowout preventer and seated in the head to securely grip and supportthe pipe to which the anchoring means is applied. f

' It is a further object of the invention to provide inwell head construction a novel type of pipe anchor, or support, which embodies an anchor ring including a pipe seal and a plurality of pipe engaging slips assembled with theanchor ring and depend loosely therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in a pipe anchoring device of th character described means for expanding the seal ring, embodied therein, so that a fluid tight seal will be formed between the, anchor ring and the pipe and between the anchor ring and the head memberinwhieh theslipsarelocated,

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features 01' construction, arrangement of parts and use, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-. I

Figure 1 is aside .view, partly. in section.

Figure 2 is a. cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figurel.

Figure 3 is .a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing. theanchor ring welded in place; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates a tubular casing head having a downwardly tapering inside seat 2 and an outflow connection 3 beneath said seat.

In the present illustration the lower end of the casing head is provided with an external annular flange 4 whereby it may be seated, if desired, on a braden head beneath.

In the present illustration the upper end of the casing head I is provided with an external annular flange 5 on which the tubing head 6 is supported and to which it is secured by suitable clamp bolts, as 'l.

4 Claims. (01. 166-14) The adjacent ends of the casing head and tubing head may be provided with registering grooves to receive the annular seal ring 8.

Within the casing head above the seat 2 there is an annular anchor ring 9. As is indicated in Figure 4, this anchor ring is formed of two arcuate sections so that it may be readily fitted around the upper end of the tubing [0 which is to be anchored in the casing head. The sections of the anchor ring are of cage like con struction, that is, each section of the anchor ring is formed of upper and lower arcuate plates which are integrally united together by the Vere tical webs II. These webs are somewhat nar rower, radially, than the ring itself and have the perforations l2 therethrough. The space be. tween the upper and lower plates of the anchor ring 9 is filled with rubber I 3 or some similar resilient material which is molded in place and which completely surrounds the webs II and is molded through the perforations l2 and fills the space between the upper and lower plates so'that when the sections of the anchor ring are assembled about the pipe ID the resilient sealing material will completely surround said pipe so as to form a seal therewith and will also fit closely withinthe casing head to form a seal therewith.

Threaded radially through the flange 5 are the plungers It. Around these plungers is the seal: ing material l5 which is maintained under c0mpression by the glands [8 which are screwed into the flange 5. The inner ends of the plungers M are preferably, though not necessarily, cone shaped and are in contact with the sealing ma.- terial [3 so that should a leak develop past the annular seal the plungers may be screwed in.- wardly-soas todisplace sufficient sealing material to cause the seal ring to expand, at the leak. and form a fluid tight seal.

The underside of the anchor ring 9 is formed, at its outer side, with a depending inwardl extending flange l'l thus providing an inwardly facing groove l8 all the way around said anchor ring.

There are a plurality of slips I9, three being shown. The upper ends of these slips have the external arcuate flanges 20 which fit into the groove l8 so that the slips may be assembled with the anchor ring. The upper ends of the slips also have the external arcuate grooves 2! to receive the flanges l 'l and beneath the grooves 2| also have the external annular grooves 22 to receive the open ring 23 whereby the anchor ring and slips are maintained assembled.

In assembly the anchor ring sections may be assembled around the pipe l and during the process of this assembly the slips may be assembled with the anchor ring by inserting the slips I9 land on the tapering seat 2. Th slips are externally tapered downwardly and inwardly and when they land on said seat they will be forced inwardly into secure engagement with the pipe ID. The plungers l4 may then be screwed inwardly as required to iorm the necessary fluid tight seal in the head.

In some instances the lower end of the-pipe I!) is cemented in the well and said pipe is then placed under tension, in a conventional manner by the use of a pipe elevator clamped-around the upper end of said pipe and a block and tackle suspended from the derrick crown block; While the pipe is under tension the anchoring unit may be assembled about the pipe above the casinghead and allowed to move downwardly into the casinghead either independently of the downward movement of the pipe or with the pipe, as it moves downwardly upon release of saiditen sion until the slips I9 land on the seat 2 whereupon said slips will engage with and grip and securely hold the pipe 10 againstfurther movement.

While the anchor ring and slip assembly, above described, are being low'ered'the tubing head 6 will not be installed but when the pipe I!) is 'se-' curely anchored and supported in the casing head the blowout preventer may be removed and the tubing head 6 installed in place.

In the present illustration there is also shown an inner tubing 24 which maybe supported'in the tubing head 6, above, by an anchor ring and slip assembly similar to that above described and shown in Figure 1; also if the casing h'e'ad' ll'is' mounted on a braden head beneath the outer casing 25 may be secured in the braden head in asimilarmanner. 7

If found desirable the anchor ring'9, when finally installed, may be welded all the way around to the adjacent inner pipe by the 'weld'25 and may also be welded all the way' aroundto the adjacent head memberdby means-of the weld 21. r

The drawings and description are'illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In well head construction having a tubular head member provided with an inside seat, a pipe supporting and packing assembly including, an anchor ring adapted to surround a pipe extending through the head, said ring comprising an upper plate and a lower plate spacedfrom the upper plate and connected thereto by radial web elements, resilient material molded into the ring between the plates and around the web elements to providean annular sealing ring between the plates, and slips depending loosely from the lower plate whereby slips may undergo lateral displacement with respect to the anchor ring, the pipe supporting'and packing assembly being adapted file of patent: I

to be mounted within the tubular head member with the slips supported upon the inside seat of said head member and engaging the pipe and with the annular sealing ring forming a seal between the pipe and the head member. f

2. In a well head construction as set forth in claim 1, together with radially disposed plungers threaded within the head member and having their inner ends adapted to engage the periphery.

of the sealing ring when the plungers are screwed inwardly. 1 7 3. In a well head construction asset forth in claim 1 wherein the loose connection between the slips and the lower plate is formed by an inter; engaging flange and groove formed on said lower plate and said slips. l l r,

4. In a well headconstructionas set forth in claim 1 wherein the radial web elements which connect the upper and lower plates of theanchor ring are of a lesser width than-the width of'the plates and also wherein said webelements are formed with openings'within which the resilient material forming the sealing ring is molded. l 1 JACK EDWARDS.

lemmas are-11 The following references are" of record'lnthe' UNITED sTATEsYPA' rsN'rs i Number Name Date 7 1,561,236 Hunt NOV. 10, 1925 1,620,383 OBannon Mar."8;1927 1,973,809 Heggem Sept. 18, 1934 2,023,033 spalding Dec. 3, 1935 2,073,890 Tschappat ..'Mar. 16,1937 2,228,555 7 Barker Jan. 14, 1941 2,312,476 Penick et-al. 'Mar. 2, 1943' 2,380,388 

